Céline Dion drops heartfelt Thanksgiving message to 'slow down, take a deep breath and give thanks' amid Stiff-Person syndrome diagnosis - Watch

‘My Heart Will Go On’ singer Céline Dion has always been a force to be reckoned with. In the last few years, however, the star has had to take a step back from the glitz and glam of being on stage due to a major health diagnosis. The idol had been diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome in 2022; however, the symptoms had started showing way earlier than that. Here is all you need to know about the rare neurological disease that is affecting the singer.

Céline Dion’s Thanksgiving update

The singer had been strongly battling the disease since 2022; however, that has not stopped her from keeping her fans updated. In a recent video shared on her social media account on November 27, the star talked about the spirit of Thanksgiving. She shared the video along with the caption “Wishing everyone a beautiful and peaceful Thanksgiving! May your day be filled with love, gratitude, and precious moments with the people who mean the most to you. - Celine xx…” While greeting everyone, she adds in the video that “There's something so powerful about gathering with the people you love, whether around the full table, over the phone, or even just in your heart.” Further she thanked her family members for always being there for her through everything as well, leaving fans emotional. The ‘To Love You More’ singer then concluded it by saying “Happy Thanksgiving, from me and my family, to you and yours.”

Céline Dion’s diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome

The idol was diagnosed officially in December 2022, which was followed by her canceling her ‘Courage’ tour in May 2023 due to complications from the disease. At the time, she had uploaded an emotional video on her channel to share the news with her fans.

In her video, the idol apologized for taking such a long time to reach out to fans and stated that she had something big to share. She further added, “I miss you all so much, and I can’t wait to be on stage talking to you in person. As you know, I’ve always been an open book, and I wasn’t ready to say anything before. But I’m ready now. I’ve been dealing with problems with my health for a long time, and it’s been really difficult for me to face these challenges and to talk about everything that I’ve been going through. Recently, I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome, which affects something like one in a million people.”

While she had to take a step back from music to deal with the symptoms, she came back stronger in 2023. Her first musical release of the year came from the song that she created for the Priyanka Chopra starrer ‘Love Again.’

What is stiff-person syndrome?

As per the description provided by the Cleveland Clinic, “Stiff person syndrome (SPS) is a rare autoimmune neurological disorder that causes muscle stiffness in your trunk and abdomen (the middle part of your body). Over time, you may also develop stiffness (rigidity) and spasms in your legs and other muscles. Walking may be difficult, and you may become more prone to falls and injury.”

Documentary about Celine Dion

Last year in May, the first trailer of the documentary about the singer and her battle with the disease titled ‘I Am Celine Dion’ was released. It showcased her journey from getting the diagnosis to dealing with the symptoms, amongst other things. The film was a chronicle of how it affected her physically and emotionally, and how she managed to get through everything and return to the one thing she loved doing the most, singing. The film was released on Amazon Prime on June 25 last year.

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